Ten years of ruthless civil war had a devastating effect on the people of Sierra Leone. Add the 2014 - 2016 Ebola Epidemic to the list. Access to basic healthcare services is an opportunity.
Since the war ended in 2002, sickness and disease have become the major threat to people’s lives. Sierra Leone ranks at the bottom of the United Nations ranking of living conditions; it is rated 177 out of 187 countries (UN Human Development Index). It is also rated one of the highest in maternal and infant mortality in the world. Many towns and communities have little or no access to pure drinking water, and general sanitation is lacking. The majority of the population lives in congested Freetown, the capital city. Those in the rural areas rely on dirty water from rivers, shallow wells, and swamps. They are vulnerable to outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, hepatitis A, and cholera
